Tiltable track for motor vehicles or the like



C. W. STORY Aug. 31, 1948.

TILTABLE TRACK FOR moron VEHICLES on THE LIKE OriginaIFiled June 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m y. W W e w ,1 m vr A M Q. m a J B =n m n u U u u E W v TM a m u R S I r n I Q n m n w u u M wljw u u m m M M q n 3. w m w M m m C- W- STO RY v TILTABLE TRACK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OR THE LIKE Original Filed June 10, 1938 I III INVENTOR ATTORNEY5.

2 Sheets-Shqet 2 BY Z'AKL M/jraxy wn w Patented Aug. 31, 1948 PATENT OFFICE TILTABLE TRACK FOR Moron vnnrotss QR. THE LIKE Carl W. Story, San Francisco, Calif;

I Substitutedfor abandoned application Serial N6. 212,967, June 10,1938. This application sap:

temberze, 1945, Serial No. 620,054

The present invent-ion relates to tiltab'le tracks for motor vehicles or the like, and its principal object is to provide a track of the character de'- scribed that is capable of manual operation with a minimum of effort. This application is a sub stitute for my abandoned application Serl No. 212,967, filed June 10th, 1938.

A further object of my invention is to provide-a tiltable track of the character described in which compensating means are provided to cause the center ofgravity of the track load to remain substantially vertically over the axis of the tilting movement during the tilting operation, thus enabling the operator toretain easy control of th'e' tilting movement regardless oilthe angularity to which the track has been adjusted.

Further objects. and advantageswoi my inventionwill appear as the specification proceeds, and the" novel features of' the same will be fully defined in: the claims hereto appended- V The preferred form of. my invention is il1us"-' trated in-the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a p'lan'view of my til-table track;

FigureZ, a side elevation thereof Figure 3, a fragmentary longitudinal section; through the" operating mechanism. ofi'my tilting track as seenalong line 3 -3 ofv Figure 4 Figure 4, a transverse section through thezoper atin'g' mechanism, taken along, line 4 4 vof Figure 1;;

Figure 5, a trans-verse verticalsectiontaken" along line 5-5 of Figure 1, with amp-tor vehicle shown in position on the track; and 1 Figure 6, a section similar to that: of Figure? with the track in tilted position.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my; inventionl wish to have itunderstood that various changes or modificationsmay be made Within the scope ofthe claimshereto attached; without departing from the spirit of the invention;

In its-preferred form my invention comprisesa" track 6 prefer-ablyconsisting of a pairjofchannel shaped rails 2 arranged in suitable spaced relation on a pair of inverted, channel-shaped cross-mem-f bers, The rails are preferably humped-in their central portion-s, as shown at 4; to preventa motor vehicle disposed on thetr-ack iromrunning ofi by gravity. Suitable bracing-members 5 may beprovided to strengthen the humped p'orti'on;:-of the" track. One of the'rails of the track mayibemadeadjustable bythe slot and boltarrangemen-tshovvnat' fi to -allow changes to be made in the width of warmt 4 r Y V The-track is tilta-blysupported in the upper-ends 9 Claims. (01. 214-1) of a pair of spaced standards 1, the spacing betwe en which correspond to that provided between the cross-members 3. Each standard consists of two spaced plat'es' 8, in the upper ends of which are supported ali'ned longitudinal shafts 9 having sprocket wheels Iii fixed thereto which engage with heavy-duty chains l l anchoredto the bottom faces of the cross-members, as shown particularly well in Figure 4. r

To give additional support to the cross-'mem- 'bB'IS,'1O11e1s l2 may be provided on opposite sides of each sprocket wheel, the rollers being within the flanges it of thechannel-shaped cross-member; V

The plates of the standards 1 rise above the cross-members and are joined by ro'd's' ll' w'hich.

confine the cross-members between theplates of the standard.

When the track is in horizontal position, as

shown in Figure 5, it lies substantially centrally over the supporting shafts so that: the center 'of gravity I B of the load including the motor vehicle I5 is also centrally over the said shafts. The track, in this position, maybe slightly unbalanced, however, by off-setting it relative to the support ing shafts or' by adding weight on one" side, as by supporting legs l-l, so that it would normally retain a horizontal position even though the motor vehicle would be somewhat unbalanced the'other way. This may be taken care of, however, by positive' locking means as hereinafter described.

For tilting the track; any suitable, manuanw operated means may be used, as for instance,v the handle I8 which extends laterally from one of the rails, as an extension of the transverse mem ber l9.

The principal object of the present invention is to cause the track to climb on its support While it isbeing' tilted so astokeepthewcenter of gravity of the combinedxweight of the track and the'v'e hicle substantially inivertical al-inement with the" supporting shafts.

This I accomplish by the lever arrangement shown particularly well in Figuresfi and. 6, which comprises an arm 26) fixed to the shaft 9,=a:1ink' 2-! pivoted to the cross-member? at a point near the leg-support of the track, as at, a second link 23 suspended'from the arm 20, and a lever 24 having a fixed fulcrum at 25,. inloracket extending from the standard plates, and having its the inclined position of-Fig-ure 6', theli-nk 2 l' pulls of a plurality of positions by any suitable means,

as, for instance, by a pin 26 passing through registering holes in the lever 24 and a fixed member 21. This locking means may also be used for holding the track in horizontal position.

The vehicle may be suitably anchored toth'e track by means of chains 28.

To permit the vehicle to drive on the track I provide inclined runways or approaches 29. The runway on the descending side is preferably secured to the track in a loose manner, as by a pin 39 engaging in a lip 3| to keep the runway from interfering with the tilting motion of the track.

In operation, the motor vehicle is first driven on the track and suitably anchored by means of the chains 28. The operator may then apply the handle [8 and by lifting its free end cause the track to tilt and to climb upward on the shafts 9 so that during the entire operation the load remains substantially balanced on its supports.

The operation described, as well as the reverse operation, may be carried out with little effort because the center of gravity-of the load does not shift perceptibly.

I claim:

1. In combination, a track for a motor vehicle or the like, spaced cross-pieces connecting the rails of the track,.a pair of alined shafts, means for tiltably supporting the cross-pieces on the shafts including a sprocket wheel and coacting means on a cross-piece in engagement'therewith, an arm associated with the sprocket, a link pivoted to a' cross-member, a second link pivoted to the arm, and a lever having a fixed fulcrum and having its ends connected to the free ends of the links for turning the sprocket wheel'when the track is tilted.

2. In combination, a track for a motor vehicle or the like, spaced cross-pieces connecting the rails of the track, a pair of alined shafts, means for tiltably supporting the cross-pieces on the shafts including a sprocket wheel and coacting means on a cross-piece in engagement therewith, an arm associated with the sprocket, a link pivoted to a cross-member, a second link pivoted to the arm, and a lever having a fixed fulcrum and having its ends connected to the free ends of the links for turning th sprocket wheel when the track is tilted, with means for locking the lever in different positions.

3. In combination, a pair of standards, each comprising a pair of spaced plates, alined shafts supported in the standards so as to bridge the plates, sprocket wheels on the shafts, a track having spaced cross-members tiltably disposed over the sprockets and having means coacting with the sprockets for moving the cross-members when the sprockets ar turned, means bridging the plates above the cross-members for confining the latter, an arm on one of the sprockets, a link on the corresponding cross-member at a point spaced from the sprocket, a second link on the arm and a lever having a fixed fulcrum and having its ends connected to th free ends of the links for turning the sprocket when the track is tilted whereby the track is moved transversely incident to the tilting movement.

4. In combination, a pair of standards, each comprising a pair of spaced plates, alined shafts supported in the standards so as to bridge the plates, sprocket Wheels on the shafts, a track having spaced cross-members tiltably disposed over the sprockets and having means coasting with the sprockets for moving the cross-members when the sprockets are turned, means bridging the plates above the cross-members for confining the latter, an arm on one of the sprockets, a link on the corresponding cross-member at a point spaced from the sprocket, a second link on the 1 arm and a lever having a fixed fulcrum and having its ends connected to the free end of the links for turning the sprocket when the track is tilted whereby the track is moved transversely incident to the tilting movement, the track being slightly over-balanced on the link supporting side of the standards and havinglegs on :that side: for-normally supporting the track in horizontal position.

5. In combination, a pair of standards, eac comprising a pair of spaced plates, alined shafts supported in standards so as to bridgethe plates, sprocket wheels on the shafts, a track having spaced cross-members tiltably disposed over the sprockets and having means coacting with the sprockets for moving the cross-members when the sprockets are turned, means bridging the plates above the cross-members for confining the latter, an arm on one of the sprockets, a link on the corresponding cross-member at a point spaced'from the sprocket, a second link on the arm and a lever having a fixed fulcrum and having its ends connected to the free ends of the links for turning the sprocket when the track is tilted whereby the track is moved transversely incident to a tilting movement, the track being slightly over-balanced on the link supporting side of the standards and having legs on that side for normally supporting the track in horizontal position and the track having an inclined runway with a pivotal connection between the runway and the track rail on the side opposite the leg supports.

6. In combination, a track for a motor vehicle or the like having spaced cross-pieces connecting the rails of thetrack, means for supporting the cross-pieces intermediate the ends thereof with freedom of tilting motion, including a wheel having driving connection with one of the crosspieces for moving the track sidewise when the wheel is turned, and a second driving connection between a point on the cross-piece spaced from the first driving connection and the wheel whereby the latter is turned through an arc corresponding to the tilting movement of-the track for moving the track sidewise to maintain the pivotal point of the track substantially in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the load. 7 V

'7. Incombination, a'track for a motor vehicle or the like having spaced cross-pieces connecting the rails of the track, means for supporting the cross-pieces intermediate the ends thereof with freedom of tilting motion, including a wheel having driving connection with one of the crosspieces for moving the track sidewise when the wheel is turned, and a second driving connection between a point on the cross-piece spaced from the first driving connection and the wheel, whereby the latter is turned for moving the track sidewise when the track is tilted, the second driving connection being made to move the track in an ascending direction a distance corresponding to the pivotal movement of the track for maintaining the pivotal point of the track substantially in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the load.

8. In combination, a track for a motor vehicle or the like, spaced cross-pieces connecting the rails of the track, means for tiltably supporting the cross-pieces including a sprocket wheel and cooperative means on a cross-member in engagement therewith, a link secured upon the crossmember at a point spaced from the middle thereof, and means operable by the link upon a tilting movement of the track for turning the sprocket wheel to move the track sidewise in an upward direction a distance corresponding to the pivotal movement of the track for maintaining the pivotal point of the track substantially in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the load.

9. In combination, a track for a motor vehicle or the like, spaced cross-pieces connecting the rails of the track, means for tiltably supporting the cross-pieces, including a sprocket wheel and cooperative means on a cross-member in engagement therewith, a link secured upon the crossmember at a point spaced from the middle thereof. a lever operable by the link, and means operable by the lever for turning the sprocket wheel when the track is tilted, for moving the track sidewise a distance corresponding to the tilting movement of the track and maintaining the pivotal point of the track substantially in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the load.

CARL W. STORY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,266,094 Beckman May 14, 1918 1,500,284 Stubbs July 8, 1924 

